Comestible storage and display device



Nov. 28, 1961 w. H. FREDRICK 3,010,290

COMESTIBLE STORAGE AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 13, 1959 3 sheets-sheet 1 II/EVQ/ INVENTOR. f mLL 1AM H. fkEDR/CK Arrozvey Nov. 28, 1961 w. H. FREDRICK 3,010,290

COMESTIBLE STORAGE AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 13, 1959 Firs. 4.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2' //8 uvmvron, Fran 5.

Nov. 28, 1961 w. H. FREDRICK COMESTIBLE STORAGE AND DISPLAY DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 13, 1959 'INVENTOR. MLLIAM H. Fee-0216K United States Patent 9 3,010,290 COMESTEBLE STORAGE AND DISPLAY DEVICE William H. Fredrick, 7200 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles,

Calif., assignor of one-half to Nathan Gilbert, Burhank, Cadf.

Filed July 13, 1959, Ser. No. 826,590 7 Claims. (Cl. 62-251) This invention relates to a refrigerated storage and display device and, more particularly, to a storage and display device adapted to be utilized in storing a plurality of containers for various types of comestibles, such as eggs, or the like.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application entitled, Storage and Display Device, tiled Februar 18, 1958, Serial No. 715,962, now Patent No. 2,905,335.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the shipping and storing of various types of comestibles and ultimately displaying the same in stores, such as supermmkets and the like, poses a serious problem, particularly where the necessity for cooling or refrigerating the stored comestibles arises. For instance, it is well known to those skilled in the art that the shipping and storing of eggs in cartons and their ultimate display at the point of sale has been a problem which has not been successfully solved. Thus, in the markets where eggs are sold they are frequently stored in make-shift expedients such as conventional display gondolas or the cartons containing the eggs are stacked one on top of the other in the same manner as canned goods.

While the storage and display device of my invention will be disclosed as utilized particularly in the storing and displaying of eggs packed in cartons, it is, of course, not intended that the utilization of the invention be limited to the storing and display of this particular comes tible, since it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the principles of the invention can be applied with equal cogency to the shipping, storage, and display of other comestibles.

The conventional practice followed in the shipping, storage, and ultimate display of eggs packed in cartons is that the cartoned eggs are shipped in wooden crates or paperboard containers from which they are removed when received in a market and stacked upon the shelf of the gondola or the like. ()ne of the main difficulties encountered in the markets which customarily sell large quantities of eggs is the fact that the conventional shipping crates or cartons consume large quantities of storage space which is then not available to the market proprietor for the storage of other comes-tibles. Furthermore, a deposit must be paid on the conventional shipping containers by the market operators.

it is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a storage and display device wherein a plurality of containers in the form of wire baskets, or the like, can be stored in such a manner that the comestibles contained in said baskets or containers need not be removed therefrom once they are packed in the packing house but can be placed in the storage and display device of my invention without any further handling thereof. in the case of eggs, the baskets are packed with the cartons of eggs in the packing plant and only removed therefrom by the ultimate consumer after the baskets have been placed in the storage and display device.

The baskets or containers adapted for use with the storage and display device of my invention are, when received from the packing house, stored in the storage area of the market until the need for additional cartons of eggs is indicated'and said bakets are then transported to the storage and display device and are installed therein in a manner to be described in greater detail below. After the cartons of eggs in a particular basket have been exice hausted, the basket is removed from the storage and display device.

When eggs or other perishable comestibles are stored, it is frequently desirable to chill or refrigerate the same and I, therefore, provide a storage and display device which is characterized by the provision of means for chilling or refrigerating comestibles disposed in containers in the storage and display device.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a storage and dispaly device which is characterized by the fact that it can be provided in either free-standing or adapter unit form. In the free standing embodiment of the invention the storage and display device incorporates an enclosure which has an open front and which includes a plurality of downwardly and rearwardly inclined container supports adapted to receive a plurality of containers, the contents of which are accessible from the open front. In the embodiment of the invention under discussion here the container supports are provided with container locating means which are adapted to locate containers disposed thereupon in predetermined positions with respect thereto.

In other words, the container supports are adapted to receive a plurality of containers in end-to-end relationship and, since the container su ports are downwardly and rearwardly inclined, when only one container is disposed upon a container support, the container locating means positions the container adjacent the open front of the enclosure for easy access for a customer.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a. display device of the aforementioned character wherein the container locating means is disposed intermediate the extremities of the associated container supports and is adapted to engage the inner and lower end of a container disposed upon the associated container support.

In order to maintain the comestibles, such as eggs, disposed within the storage and display device in properly chilled or refrigerated condition, the free-standing display device of my invention incorporates a refrigeration system including inlet and outlet refrigeration ducts disposed adjacent the upper and lower extremities of the front of the enclosure and a plenurn chamber intermediate said ducts adapted to circulate the refrigerated air to the inlet duct and force it downwardly to the outlet duct. An associated object of my invention is the provision of batlie means within the enclosure disposed adjacent the supporting containers, whereby refrigerated or chilled air is trapped and caused to circulate over the comestibles disposed in the containers.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an adapter display device for comestibles which includes an enclosure designed for insertion in a conventional walkin refrigerator which is generally similar to the free standing unit described hereinabove but which is characterized by the provision :of an enclosure having an open front and sliding doors in the rear wall thereof which permit access to the interior of the enclosure from the rear wall. Also characteristic of the adapter unit of my invention is the provision of an inlet refrigeration duct placed in communication with the refrigerated storage area of the walkin refrigerator and adapted to circulate refrigerated or chilled air downwardly across the front of the adapter unit to an outlet duct whence the refrigerated air is circulated and returned to the body of refrigerated or chilled air the Walk-in refrigerator external to the enclosure of the adapter unit.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical free-standing display unit constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 22 of FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the manner in which the extremities of the container supporting members of the display device can be aligned;

FIG. 4 is a front, elevational view of an adapter unit constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

FIG; 5 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 5-5 of FIG. 7;

P16. 6 is a vertical, sectional view of an adapter display device constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

enclosure 14 disposed within said housing. The enclo-,

sure 14 includes an open front 16, side walls 18, a rear wall 29, a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 24 constituted by the bottom wall of the external housing 12. If desired, the enclosure 14 can be provided with a bottom wall'spaced above and separate from the bottom Wall 24 of the external housing 12. 2

Av plenum chamber 26 is provided between the rear wall 20 of the enclosure 14 and the rear wall 28 of the external'housing 12 through which air may flow upwardly through the cooling coil 30 of a refrigeration unit 32 mounted in the upper part of the external housing 12. Of course, the location of the refrigeration unit 32 is not critical so long as the cooling coil 30 is located in the air flow path.

An inlet refrigeration duct 34 is provided in the top wall 22 of the housing adjacent the open front 16 thereof and is adapted to permit a curtain of refrigerated air to flow downwardly to the intake of an outlet refrigeration duct 36 which has an exhaust fan 38 associated therewith adapted to exhaust the refrigerated air into the plenum chamber 26. Thus, a continuous curtain of refrigerated or chilled air is caused to flow. downwardly across the front 16 of the enclosure 14.

Located within the enclosure 14 and extending transversely thereof between the side walls 18 is a plurality of container supports 40, said container supports being constituted by downwardly and rearwardly inclined tracks 42, formed from angle iron or the like, and arranged in vertically spaced relationship with each other by means of vertically oriented standards 44, which may be formed from strap iron or the like, and which are secured in operative relationship with the tracks 42 by means of welding or similar techniques.

The container supports 40 are arranged in horizontal rows which are located one above the other, each of the rows incorporating a predetermined number of pairs of tracks 42 constituting the container supports 40. The upper and outer extremities of the tracks 42 may be arranged to lie on the same imaginary vertical line as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings or may be arranged to lie on an obliqueline as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. In addition, the container supports may be of such a length as to support only one container or may be supplied to support a plurality of containers in end-to-end relationship as respectively shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 of the drawings.

Each of the container supports 40' constituted by a pair of tracks 42 is provided with an adjacent bafiie plate 48, which underlies the container supports 4i: and is adapted to cause chilled or refrigerated air to be extracted from the curtain of air and to create a pool of refrigerated 0r chilled air around the individual containers 50 which are constituted by wire baskets 52, whose construc tion is such as to facilitate the free flow of chilled or re frigerated air about the perimeters of packages or cartons 'of eggs 54 disposed in the baskets 52.

Therefore, in the free-standing construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the wire baskets 52 are maintained in predetermined positions with respect to the downwardly and rearwardly inclined tracks 42 by means of impingement of the lower, rear ends of the wire baskets 52 on the rear wall 20 of the enclosure 14, whereby the rear wall 20 serves as locating means to maintain the wire baskets 52 in predetermined positions with respect to the container supporting tracks 42. The free flow of refrigerated air downwardly in a curtain across the fronts of the wire baskets 52 and the open front 16' of the enclosure 14 facilitates the cooling or chilling of the comestibles contained in the wire baskets 52 and also ensures that the influx of warm air from the surrounding store area will not be permitted. Moreover, the provision of the downwardly and rearwardly inclined baffles 48 and the use of the open wire baskets 52 also provides a more efiicient refrigeration system than has been hitherto achieved because pools of refrigerated air accumulate around the baskets 52 above the baffles 48.

In addition to the free-standing storage and display device previously discussed, I also provide by my invention an adapter storage and display device 60 which, as best shown in FIGS. 4-8 of the drawings, includes an enclo sure 74 adapted to be installed within a walk-in refriger ator box 66 previously provided on the premises of the market, wherein the adapter display device 60 is to be utilized. The enclosure 74 has an open front 76, side walls 78, a rear wall and a top wall 82. The bottom wall 84 of the enclosure is constituted by the bottom of the walk-in box 66.

Supported within the enclosure 74 on a plurality of vertically oriented standards 44 are a plurality of con tainer supports constituted by pairs of spaced tracks 92 formed from angle iron or the like. The spaced tracks 92 differ from the spaced tracks 42 previously discussed hereinabove in that they are of'a length suflicient to accommodate a plurality of wire baskets 52 in endto-end relationship to provide a greater amount of storage for the comestibles located within the enclosure 74. Of course,'as previously indicated, container supports adapted to support containers 50 constituted by wire baskets 52 in end-to-end relationship can also be incorporated in free-standing storage and'display devices of the character of that previously disclosed herein.

Associated with each pair of tracks 92 is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bathe plate 48, formed from sheet metal or the like, and adapted to trap refrigerated or chilled air around the container baskets 52 mounted on the container supports 90.

Theenclosure 74 is provided with a refrigeration inlet duct 104 in the upper wall 82 thereof, said inlet duct having a blower 105 associated therewith and adapted to extract refrigerated or chilled air from the interior of the walk-in refrigerator and to propel it downwardly in a curtain of air across the front 76 of the enclosure 74. A refrigeration outlet duct 106 is located at the bottom of the open front 76 of the enclosure 74 and'is adapted to facilitate the downward flow of refrigerated air by the provision therein of a suction type fan 108 which projects the spent refrigerated air rearwardly through an opening 112 disposed in communication with the walk-in refrigerator 66. Thus, refrigerated air is extracted from the interior of the'Walk-in refrigerator 66 by the blower 105 and propelled downwardly through the inlet duct 104 in a continuous curtain of refrigerated or chilled air. The spent air is extracted through the outlet duct 106 by the 3,010,290 6 suction fan 108 associated therewith and projected rearand extending transversely thereof from one side wall to wardly through the opening 112 in communication with the other, said container supports having locating means the walk-in refrigerator 66, for refrigerating comestibles thereupon intermediate the extremities thereof and termidisposed in containers in the storage and display device. nating a uniform distance from said inner rear wall; a

One of the tracks 92 of each pair of tracks constituting 5 plurality of removable baskets disposed within said enthe container supports 90 is provided with container 10- closure and supported upon said container supports, said eating means 116 constituted by an upwardly extending removable baskets being located in predetermined positab or lug 118 which may be disposed at the upper extions with respect to said container supports by the locattremity of the track 92 with which it is associated or ing means intermediate the extremities thereof; refrigerawhich may be, as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 3 of 19 tion duct means located adjacent the front of said enclothe drawings, located intermediate the extremities of the sure at the top and bottom walls and between the inner respective track 92 in order to engage the inner and lower and outer rear walls thereof for directing a flow of reextremity of a basket 52 disposed upon the track 92. frigerated air downwardly into said enclosure and across Therefore, when the container supports 90 constituted the outer and upper extremities of said container supby the tracks 92 support only one basket 52, as best ports; and a refrigeration unit connected to said duct shown in FIGS. 6 of the drawings, the basket 52 is mainmeans. tained on the upper portions of the tracks 92 for access 3. In a storage and display device for comestibles, the by a prospective customer. When all of the cartons 120 combination of: an enclosure having top and bottom of eggs in a basket 52 are removed therefrom, the upper walls, side walls extending between said top and bottom and outer basket 52 can be removed and the lower and 20 walls, an outer rear wall, an inner rear wall and an open inner basket 52 can be pushed upwardly from the rear front; a plurality of spaced, downwardly and rearwardly of the enclosure 74 by opening the doors 122- in the back inclined container supports disposed within said enclosure wall 80 thereof. When this occurs the basket 52 is mainand extending transversely thereof from one side wall to tained in the upper position by engagement with the conthe other, said container supports having locating means tainer locating means 116. thereupon intermediate the extremities; a plurality of Because of the location of the container locating means removable containers disposed within said enclosure and 116 intermediate the extremities of the associated track slidably supported upon said container supports, said 92, it is possible to load the baskets 52 from the rear of containers being located in predetermined positions with the enclosure 74 upon the tracks 92 constituting the 'conrespect to said container supports by said locating means tainer supports 99. This is accomplished by opening the intermediate the extremities thereof; refrigeration duct door 122 in the rear wall 80 of the enclosure. 74 and means located and adjacent the front of said enclosure at placing the baskets 52 on the tracks 92 and pushing them the'top and bottom walls and between said inner and upwardlynuntil their rear, lower ends ,engageuponathel.... outerdrearawalls.thereof fordirectinga flow ofrefrigerated container locating means 116. air downwardly into said enclosure and across the outer There is thus provided by my invention a comestible and upper extremities of said container supports; a restorage and display unit which is characterized by the frigeration unit connected to said duct means; and downfact that it is adapted to maintain a plurality of containers wardly and rearwardly inclined battle plates operatively in predetermined positions within the display unit and connected to said container supports and adapted to it is further characterized by theease with which the direct a portion of the flow of refrigerated air inwardly unit may be constructed as either a freestanding or as 40 over said containers and comestibles stored therein. a built-in adapter unit. In addition, because of the unique 4. In a free-standing storage and display case, the comrefrigeration system incorporated in the display device, bination of: an enclosure incorporating top and bottom it is possible to maintain the comestibles stored and diswalls, side walls connecting said top and bottom walls and played therein at the desired temperature without chilling a rear wall, said enclosure having an open front; refrigerathe surrounding atmosphere or losing excessive amounts tion means operatively connected to said enclosure and of refrigerated air to the surrounding atmosphere. including a plenum chamber behind said rear wall and I claim: refrigeration duct means communicating with the upper 1. In a storage and display device, the combination of 2 and lower extremities of said plenum chamber and adapted an enclosure having top and bottom walls, side walls, an to discharge a curtain of refrigerated air downwardly outer rear wall, an inner rear wall and an open front; 5 across the front of said enclosure; a plurality of laterally a plurality of laterally spaced, downwardly and rcarwardspaced, downwardly and rearwardly inclined container ly inclined container supports having upstanding edge pp r aving pstanding edge portions within said enportions disposed within saidenclosure and extending beclosure and extending transversely therwf for the eception tween the side walls thereof; a plurality of removable of containers thereupon; and baifie means p y baskets mounted on said container supports and engageflected 10 said container Supports whereby refrigerated able with said edge portions and accessible through the from the downward flow of Tefrigerated air in from 0f open f t f Said enclosure; and f i tio maans said enclosure is induced to flow rearwardly over said conconnectcd to said enclosure and including a refrigeration miner supports 2 refrigerate comestibles iii t C ain ductat the top wall of said enclosure adjacent said front dlsposed "P 531d pp and at the bottom wall of said enclosure adjacent said 6 111 a Storage and p y device for Comestibles, the front whereby a curtain of refrigerated air travels downcombinatlon of: an enclosure having an p from; a wardly in overlying relationship with said removable p f y 0f laterally Spaced, dOWIlWflIdlY and rearwardly baskets to maintain the contents thereof in chilled condiinclmed Container PP having upstanding edge P tion, said top and bottom wall refrigeration ducts being {ions disposed Within Said enclosure, Said Container P connected by a back duct defined between said inner and P F being adapted for reception of a plurality of outer rear walls in said enclosure and said supports tercontafners in endow-end relationship and having Container rninating adjacent said inner rear wall to dispose said 5 11199113 P engageflble i a container to removable baskets in uniform juxtaposition to said inner -mamtam Sald contamer 111 a predetermined Position With rear walL respect to said support; refrigeration means operatively 2. In a storage and display device f comestibles, h connected to said enclosure at the front thereof for discombination of: an enclosure having top and bottom Charging a curtain 0f refrigerated air downwardly across walls, side walls extending between said top and bottom Said from Chill Comestibles diSPOSBd in wntfiinfirfi walls, an outer rear wall, an inner rear wall and an open mounted on said container supports; and bafile means front; a plurality of spaced, downwardly and rearwardly operatively associated with said container supports to inclined container supports disposed within said enclosure direct a flow of refrigerated air thereover to chill comestiblcs stored within containers mounted on said supports.

6. in a storage and display device for comestibles, the combination of: an enclosure having top and bottom walls, side walls extending between' said top and bottom walls, a rear wall and an open front; a refrigeration duct in said enclosure, said refrigeration duct having an intake at its lower extremity communicating with the front of said enclosure at the lower extremity thereof and an outlet at its upper extremity communicating with the upper extremity of said enclosure; a fan in communication with said duct adapted to draw spent cooling air into said intake and cause it to flow thorugh said duct to said outlet; a refrigeration unit having a refrigeration coil in said duct between said intake and said outlet; a plurality of banks of downwardly and rearwardly inclined container supports having upwardly directed lateral edges, said container supports being disposed in vertically spaced relationship with each other by vertical standards and extending transversely of said enclosure from one side wall to the other thereof, said container supports having locating means thereupon adjacent the extremities thereof and terminating adjacent said rear wall, the forward extremities of said container supports terminating inwardly of the forward edge of said side walls; and a plurality of removable baskets disposed within said enclosure and supported upon said container supports, said removable baskets being located in predetermined positions with respect to said container supports by said locating means adjacent the extremities thereof.

7. In a display and storage device for comestibles, the combination of: an enclosure incorporating top and bottom walls, side walls extending between said top and bottom walls, and a rear wall, said enclosure having an open front; a refrigeration duct in; said enclosure having a portion adjacent said rear wall, said refrigeration duct having an intake at its lower extremity communicating with the front of said enclosure at the lower extremity thereof and an outlet at its upper extremity communicating with the upper extremity of said enclosure; a fan in communication with said duct adapted to draw spent cooling air into said intake and cause it to flow through said duct to said outlet; a refrigeration unit having a refrigeration coil in said duet between said intake and said outlet; a plurality of rearwardly and downwardly inclined container supports having upstanding edge portions mounted within said enclosure and extending between the side walls of said enclosure, said container supports having bafiies secured thereto adapted to control the flow of refrigerated air between said refrigeration ducts and said supports terminating adjacent sai rear wall; and a plurality of removable baskets disposed in operative relationship with said container supports and accessible from the open front of said enclosure and disposed in uniform juxtaposition to said rear wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 905,809 Garman Dec. 1, 1908 1,617,799 Emanuel Feb. 15, 1927 1,702,361 Olinger Feb. 19, 1929 2,035,935 Allen May 31, 1936 2,088,149 Boston July 27, 1937 2,499,088 Brill Feb. 28, 1950 2,836,039 Weber May 27, 1958 2,905,335 Frederick Sept. 22, 1959 

